The rain soaked your hair. It soaked your clothes. It bit at your skin and made you shiver. But you couldn't feel any of it. You knew if you remained outside you'd get sick but you didn't care. You were hot with anger and overwhelmed with humiliation. You thought he cared.
Your heels clicked against the concrete as you walked away from the bar, arms tucked closely against you. You couldn't tell if there were more tears or rain on your cheeks.
"Y/N!" Charles yelled behind you. "Y/N come back!"
Squeezing your eyes shut, you continued to walk, praying for him to just leave.
"Y/N please,"
Your legs froze. You tried to hold in a sob but your body couldn't help but shake.
"What's wrong?"
"Wanna go out with me tonight?" Charles looked at you eagerly. "There's a bar a few blocks away that I think you'd really like."
You smiled as your heart fluttered. Your admiration for Charles had grown over the past year and you could hardly contain your joy when he asked you to go out for drinks. You tried not to get your hopes up, but you felt like he was starting to have the same feelings for you.
Smiling, you nodded your head.
"I'd love to."
You turned around, your hair now drenched and plastered against your skin. Charles stood a few feet away, his dress shirt becoming almost see through the longer he stood. He barely flinched as rain dripped down his face, instead just staring at you with a concerned look.
He couldn't bear seeing you in pain, and he felt like he had been punched in the chest when you turned around and met him with red tear-stained eyes.
"Did something happen back there?" He asked, as if almost nervous to hear the answer.
He has no idea.
You bite your lip, breathing deeply as you looked at the ground.
"I need to go home," You say quietly.
Charles stood silent for a moment before taking a step towards you, reaching out his hand.
"Well here, let me drive you,"
"No," You step back.
Charles's arm stiffens, his face full of hurt.
"Y/N please tell me what's wrong."
The music was loud, your dress was flattering, Charles was smiling and had his hand on the small of your back as you entered the bar. Everything was wonderful. You both sat at a small table near the edge of the bar and started a small conversation. He ordered two drinks, then another two. It didn't take long for hours to slip by. You had laughed and smiled more that evening than in the past week.
"So, tell me about your life Charles," You say, taking a sip of your drink.
"Isn't that what we've been doing?" Tom laughs.
"No, I mean tell me about your life, like what you've been thinking lately. What's been getting you out of bed lately?" You grin.
"Well," He sighs, clasping his hands, "I suppose I've been thinking of asking this one girl out."
Your smile falters, but luckily it was hidden behind the rim of your glass. You had hoped -thought- that's what he had done today. But maybe you misread the situation. You had been friends for years. Maybe he only meant this as a friend thing.
You set the glass down on the table, making circles against the wood with the bottom of it.
"Really?" You ask.
"She's so beautiful, Y/N, you wouldn't believe. She's just gorgeous. I've been thinking of asking her out for a while now. Maybe you could help me?" He asks, reading your face for an answer.
You look up, eyes wide with confusion as you tried to bury your emotions. Bury the feeling of your heart being slowly squished in your chest.
"Uh, yeah, I suppose," You say quietly. "I'll be right back, I gotta go use the restroom,"
"Y/N-"
You stand before he can finish his sentence, making your way across the crowded floor to the bathroom. Pushing the door open, you make your way to the sink and stare in the mirror for a moment. How could you be so foolish. Why would you think Charles would fall for you? He could have anyone. You turn on the faucet, letting the water run over your hands for a moment, trying to feel like you weren't helpless in the situation. But as you looked back in the mirror, all you wanted to do was cry. When you walked back into the bar and saw Charles still seated, looking down at his drink in his hand, you felt the tears build. Refusing to let him see you like this, you hurried across the room and pushed your way out the door and into the rain.
"Please Y/N," Charles pleaded. "You're upset. Please tell me why, maybe I can help."
"You can't," You say, shaking your head.
"Try me," He said, giving a light smile.
You finally look back up at him, blinking away your blurry vision.
"You can't do anything Charles and I can't have you drive me home," You say more firmly this time.
"Is it because of something I said? Because I-"
"I can't spend another minute with you Charles!"
He stops.
"Please," you feel your lip begin to quiver. "Just leave me alone."
"No," He shakes his head lightly. "Not until you give me a reason."
"Charles-"
"We've known each other for years Y/N! And now in the past ten minutes you've decided you don't want to..." He stops, not wanting to say the words you had just yelled at him. Not wanting to make them true. "I deserve to know why."
He looks at you, not with anger, but sadness. You realize he feels how you feel. He's heartbroken. But not because he loves you. Because he doesn't want to lose your friendship.
"Because I... I love you," Your voice has gone quiet. "And you love someone else."
The words burn in your mouth. You wish you could just walk away, but your lost in Charles's expression and a part of you wishes you could just take it all back. You wish you had just walked away and not said anything.
But you said how you felt and Charles knows, and you've never felt more vulnerable.
"Y/N-"
"Please Charles, just leave me alone," You turn around and begin walking away.
"It was you." He calls out.
His arm grabs yours and turns you back around.
"It was you. The girl I was talking about in the bar. It was you."
You stared in confusion, shock, disbelief. He didn't make any sense. Why'd he talk about you like you were another girl?
"But you asked if I could help you ask her out?"
"I know, I just," He pauses, tucking his hands into his pockets. "I was nervous you didn't feel the same and I guess I thought it would be a successful way of checking. You know, if you seemed on board then it meant you saw us as just friends. I now see that was a dumb move."
"It was," You say blatantly.
"I'm sorry, Y/N. Truly. But I love you too," He says, eyes filled with honestly.
You open your mouth as if to say something, but you can't think of anything to respond with.
Months of wishing those words would fall from his lips and here they were. Out in the open, floating in the rain. But in all this time of hoping it would happen, you never thought of how you would respond.
You were at a loss of words. But your brain wouldn't make a move, then your body would. Your arms wrap around his neck, bringing him into a kiss as he embraces you. Your lips almost dance against his, the connection bringing air and joy back into you, his arms tightly around your waist. Your back arches with the kiss and you feel like you never want to let go. But another part of you can't help but pull back, your hand brushing the hair out of his face.
"I love you, Charles," You say so quietly it's almost to yourself.
His face brightens with a smile as he gets lost in your eyes and pulls in for another kiss. This one more gentle and filled with admiration.
"I love you too."
He brings his hands up to the sides of your face, adoring every detail of your face before planting a kiss on your nose.
"Now let's get out of this rain before we both die of hypothermia."
